Felony trial against Missouri governor can go forward, judge says

A St. Louis judge denied Gov. Eric Greitens' motion to dismiss an invasion of privacy case, meaning the May 14 felony trial will go forward against the embattled Missouri Republican.

Adding to his legal troubles, Greitens could learn on Friday if he will face additional criminal charges after he allegedly improperly obtained a donor list for political fundraising during his run for governor.

The controversy around Greitens, once seen as a rising star in the Republican Party, has consumed Missouri politics, including the state's highly competitive Senate race.

Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill and her GOP opponent, Attorney General Josh Hawley, have called on Greitens to resign from office. The Republican leaders in both chambers of the State House have also called on him to step down.

Greitens' legal team alleged that St. Louis County Attorney Kim Gardner withheld evidence and asked for dismissal, which the judge rejected in his ruling on Thursday.

The governor faces felony charges for invasion of privacy for allegedly taking a partially or fully nude photo and "subsequently transmitted the image contained in the photograph in a manner that allowed access to that image via a computer."

Greitens said he is innocent.

"A court of law and a jury of my peers will let every person in Missouri know the truth and prove my innocence," Greitens said in a statement last week.

On Tuesday, Greitens tweeted that he would not be resigning the governorship.